Dynamic plank: how to do it, muscles worked and variations
Plank transitions that train shoulder and trunk control.
- Main muscles
- Rectus abdominis, Obliques, Deltoid, Transversus abdominis
- Secondary muscles
- Iliopsoas, Hamstrings, Gluteus medius
- Equipment
- Bodyweight, BOSU balance trainer
- Variations
- 5
All 5 variations
Plank in-out
From a high plank, the feet jump or walk in and out while the trunk stays stable.
Form. Push the floor away, keep your shoulders over your hands and start by walking your feet if jumping alters your position.
Common mistake. Raising the hips too high, sinking the lower back, or slapping the feet on the floor without control.
Plank with alternating reach
Forearm plank in which one arm reaches forward alternately, which demands resisting rotation.
Form. From a plank with your feet slightly apart, reach one arm forward without the hips turning or dropping, set it down again and alternate.
Common mistake. Turning the hips toward the raised arm, bringing the feet together and leaving a small base, or sinking the lower back.
BOSU plank in-out
Dynamic plank where the feet move in and out over a BOSU, progressing anti-extension control and shoulder stability.
Form. Secure the BOSU, start slow and move both feet keeping the pelvis as still as possible.
Common mistake. Using a base that shifts, sinking the lower back, landing with uneven feet, or speeding up when you lose control.
Plank to pike toe touch
From a high plank, the hips rise into a pike and one hand reaches for the opposite foot, combining core, shoulders and posterior mobility.
Form. From a high plank, push the floor away and lift your hips toward the ceiling while one hand touches the opposite foot or shin; return to the plank and alternate.
Common mistake. Bending the knees a lot, losing the plank on the way back, sinking the shoulders, or going so fast that you lose control.
Plank toe taps from a BOSU
High plank with your feet on a BOSU in which one foot steps down to tap the floor and returns, alternating, without the hips moving.
Form. With your hands under your shoulders and the tips of your toes on the dome, lower one foot to the floor beside the BOSU, bring it back up and alternate while holding the plank.
Common mistake. Sinking the hips, rotating the pelvis as the foot comes down, resting the feet on the edge, or going faster than you can control.
Other exercises for the same muscles
